The present invention relates generally to a print output control apparatus, a print output control method, and a recording medium recording this method that enhance user interface.
Generally, peripheral devices connected to a computer are controlled by device drivers. Especially, printers are controlled by printer drivers. For example, in printing a file (or document) of image data or text data created by an application, the printer driver for that printer is called from the application program.
To be specific, when the user selects “Print” from the menu of an application program, a dialog box associated with the printing appears on the display screen. The user sets print-associated parameters through the dialog box and then enters a print command, upon which the specified image data for example are outputted on the printer. The printer driver displays the dialog box through which the user sets paper size, print pages, and the number of copies to be printed for example. Thus, by use of the dialog box, the user makes setting for desired print outputs.
Some application programs have a print image drawing capability. This capability allows the user to preview a print image of before actually performing printing on the printer. If the preview image is different from what the user desires, for example, if the image is found outside the range of a specified paper, then the user adjusts the image or changes the content of the print file through the application program by stopping the current printing sequence.
However, since the above-mentioned print image drawing capability is for displaying the image of a print result, the preview image may differ from the result actually outputted from the printer. To be more specific, the widths of fonts and characters provided by application programs and operating systems may differ from the widths of fonts and characters printed on printers. In addition, color matching may not be achieved between an image displayed on the display device and its counterpart printed on the printer. Color matching herein denotes that there is complete matching in color as viewed from users between the displayed image and the printed image.
Consequently, if the user determines good an image to be printed by checking it through the preview window but the printed image is turned out not what the user desired, the user must readjust at much expense in time and effort the contents of the image file until the desired printed image is obtained.